Festivals of Bihar: The festival reflects the rich diversity and also brings the community together. Feasts and festivals are tools that bring richness and enthusiasm to monotonous lives. Festivals are celebrated throughout the year in India, but festivals are when the culture is revealed in all its glory.
As a country where representatives of different religions coexist harmoniously, coming to Bihar is a true expression of its rich culture and traditions. Festivals are the soul of Bihar and there are interesting legends associated with each festival. Festivities here are marked by the fasts, festivals, and folk songs that characterize this culturally connected state.
If you’re looking for special and noteworthy festivals in Bihar, here’s some information. Let’s take a look:
Chhath Puja Festival
Chhath Puja is a famous and major festival in Bihar. Bihar is an ancient land with deep religious roots. The spiritually minded people of Bihar celebrate many festivals to worship God. Chhath Puja is the only Vedic festival dedicated to the sun god. This festival is held twice a year: Chaitra Maas (March) and Kartik Maas (November). During the four days of the holiday, people gather along the river bank to fast and offer prayers at sunset.
They also sing folk songs and dance in honor of Surya Dev and Chhatti Mayi. The people of Bihar greatly believe in this Puja and keep holiness and purity in their homes. It is believed that many negative energies are removed from the environment thanks to this Pooja.
Makar Sankranti Festival
Makar Sankranti is a harvest festival in Bihar. Like Pongal in South India and Lohri in North India, Makar Sankranti, known as Til Sakraait in Bihar, has both religious and mythological significance. Every January Makar Sankranti Mela is held in Rajgir. During this festival, devotees offer flowers to the deity of the temple and take a dip in the holy hot spring water. The Bank district celebrates the holiday by organizing a large fair in Mandar Hills. It is believed that a shell was found on the hill which is the shin of Lord Krishna in Mahabharata. So, to celebrate its mythological roots, Makar Sankranti is one of the most famous and auspicious festivals in Bihar.
Gautama Buddha Jayanti
Bihar is where Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment, hence Gautama Buddha Jayanti is a revered festival in Bihar. It is celebrated in Bodh Gaya and Rajgir on the full moon day (Purnima) in May. As Buddha Purnima is the holiest day for Buddhists, a large number of Buddhists visit the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya.
This can be considered a Buddhist temple. The celebration begins with a procession from the 80-foot Buddha statue to the bodhi tree behind the temple. The temple grounds and surrounding area are decorated with typical Buddhist flags. In addition to Buddha’s disciples, many foreign tourists also visit the festival.
Sonepur Fair
It is Asia’s largest livestock fair held in Sonepur and has its roots in ancient mythology and folklore. Chandragupta Maurya bought elephants and horses from across the Ganges and since then a fair has been held once a year in November. The festival is not only famous for the cattle trade, but also for offering prayers at the Hariharnath temple and taking a holy bath in the river.
Sonepur is considered a holy place as it is located at the confluence of the Ganga and Gandak rivers. Handicrafts and looms, folk dances, and magic shows are also displayed during the fair. One of the many attractions of the Sonepur Cattle Fair is the sight of beautifully decorated elephants brought to the fair for sale. Every year the fair is visited by many Indian and foreign tourists.
Rajgir Mahotsav
The annual Rajgir Mahotsav is a dance and music festival. The last week of October is a three-day event held in Rajgir, the ancient capital of the Magadha Empire in Bihar. Organized by the Bihar Ministry of Tourism, this event is a cultural introduction to Bihar’s diverse art forms, folk dance, and music.
In addition to organizing various exciting activities and competitions such as Martial Arts, Tongan Races, Mehndi Art, Mahila Utsav, and more. The cultural events feature many well-known artists from around the world. Many tourists from all over the world.
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Sama Chakeba Festival
The 10-day Sama-Chakeva festival in November is especially important in Mithila. It celebrates the bond between siblings and begins shortly after the arrival of brightly colored migratory birds, locally called Sama and Chakeba. This is the story of Sama, who is said to be the daughter of Lord Krishna. She was falsely accused of her, and her father was furious with her and eventually punished her by turning her into a bird.
It is believed that her brother Chakeba’s love and her self-sacrifice helped her return to her human form. The festival is celebrated in a unique style featuring the local art of idol-making handmade clay idols of these new siblings which are immersed in the river by the girls according to specific rituals and traditions. The folklore of Bihar is exquisite and any festival is not complete without folk songs. The festival concludes with a farewell (vidai) with a folk song performance in hopes of returning next year.
Bihula Festival
Bihula, also known as Bishari Puja, is a massive festival held in Bhthe agalpur district and eastern Bihar. Falling on the fifth day of Shrawan Maas (August), Bihula is a festival celebrating the local arts of Manjusha. There is also an interesting fable related to the festival of Bihula and the reason why Goddess Mansa is worshiped on this auspicious day. Bhihula was a lucky girl who never became a widow, but due to Mansa’s machinations, her husband, Lak Cinder, died from a snakebite on her wedding night.
Vehula, along with her dead husband, reached the sky on a raft and begged all the gods to bring him back to life from the gods of heaven. She is allowed to bring her husband back to life on the condition that Lakshinder’s father, Chand, make a sacred offering to Goddess Mansa. Desperate to save her son’s life, Chand gave up and Mansa took the goddess’s place in the sky. She gave life back to all six of Chand’s sons. Since then, the ritual has been performed every year by people praying to Goddess Mansa for the protection of her family.
Madhushravani Festival
Madhushravani, the harbinger of the rainy season, is celebrated throughout Mithilanchal in August (savan), in which the serpent god Vishahara and the family goddess Gosaun are worshiped. Kier and traditional gorzaur served as prasadam with fried vegetables, mango,d jackfruit. During the festival, married women in the Mithila region fast for the longevity of their husbands, and Mithila’s mango groves and courtyards are filled with beautiful brides.
Newly married girls stay with their parents and observe a strict fast for 13 days. Traditionally, newlyweds share snacks from their husband’s homes with five married women.
Pitrapaksha Mela
The famous Pitrapaksha Mela is held in Gaya, the sacred city of Bihar with many temples. It is considered one of the important fairs in India where rituals such as bathing in rivers and worshiping ancestors are performed to save the souls of loved ones who have gone to heaven. Pitrapaksha Mela, held every September, is held for 16 days where many people from different regions visit Gaya to pray with utmost devotion. It was Buddha who first performed the Pindaan ceremony here, and since then many Hindus have continued this tradition.
Malmas Mela
Organized in Rajgir, the Malmas Mela is one of the largest and grandest fairs in India attended by many devotees. During the holy month of Malmas, also known as Adhima, 33 Koti of Hindu gods and goddesses are believed to reside in Rajgir, so this period is marked by prayers and offerings throughout the month. During this period, grand fairs are held and thousands of devotees celebrate this auspicious month by paying homage to the holy places of Rajgir and washing away their sins by bathing in the hot springs.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Festivals of Bihar
What is the most famous festival in Bihar?
Chhath puja is the most unique and famous of the many fairs and festivals in Bihar. This is an ancient Hindu festival to worship the god ‘Surya’, the sun god.
Which Mela is famous in Bihar?
Sonepur Mela is one of the largest cattle fairs in Asia, held at the confluence of two mighty rivers, the Ganges and Gandak.
What day is celebrated in Bihar?
Bihar Day (Bihar Diwas) is celebrated every year on 22 March, marking the formation of Bihar state.
What is the tallest temple in Bihar?
Virat Ramayan Mandir will be nearly twice as tall as Cambodia’s famous 12th-century Angkor Wat temple complex, which stands at 215 feet tall.
What are the different religious communities in Bihar?
Answer. The different religious communities in Bihar include Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, Sufis, etc.
What is the most famous and unique festival in Bihar?
Bihar’s most unique and famous festival is Chhath Puja, which is celebrated six days after Diwali. The holiday is marked by devotion, fasting and the distribution of sweets and fruits. Puja ends with a sacred dip in the Ganges on the last day.
Where is the famous Bihar Cattle Fair held?
Bihar’s famous cattle fair is held in Sonepur.
What is the Bihar Harvest Festival called and where does it take place?
Bihar Harvest Festival is called Makar Sankranti. It is held in Rajgir and Mandar Hills, Banka.
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